Songs of Conquest News

We’re back with more details on what’s quickly becoming one of our favorite factions. The Roots might stand out in a crowd, but let’s be honest, you wouldn’t want to bump into them in a dark alley. They’re taking shape right before our eyes, as we build new maps and dig into playtesting. I won’t give an exact date yet, but suffice to say it's close.

This update is all about how Roots plays. We’ll explore some of their unique mechanics and give you a glimpse of new artwork and buildings taking root in their domain.
Before we get tangled in the details, don’t forget to wishlist Roots, the Tree Mother insists.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3511790/Songs_of_Conquest__Roots/
All factions so far have a specialization when it comes to Essence. Arleon, for example, focuses on Order, Chaos, and Creation. Their Faey units lean into Chaos, while the Shield of Order units bring a strong focus on Order as their name implies. There is a clear theme, and although some troops can act as formidable essence batteries, the faction as a whole is limited to three types of Essence.

This is not the case for Roots.

Roots are connected to Essence, and despite the colour off-put, its the normal ones

Roots are connected to Essence in a more natural way than any other faction. They do not limit themselves to three types. Instead, they wield all Essence types, drawing from the full spectrum of magic. But it is not just the range that sets them apart. The way they generate Essence is unique, too.

Let’s talk about Symbiosis.

All Root units are part of a greater whole. A hive mind, using whatever is available to carry out the will of the Tree Mothers and protect their domain. That mindset is mirrored on the battlefield.

Most Root units generate just a single Essence on their own. While there are exceptions, this holds true for many of them. As experienced players know, a single point of Essence will not carry you very far. But when a Root unit stands next to another one of your units, a Symbiosis is formed. Their Essence is shared.

Sharing is caring after all.

At the start of a unit’s turn, it generates its own Essence and one additional Essence from a friendly adjacent unit. This effectively means each unit can produce two Essence if placed correctly. Battlefield positioning becomes vital if you want to stay ahead in the Essence game.

And since Roots have access to all types of Essence, the combinations are nearly endless. Our testers have already uncovered some very interesting setups, and we are excited to see what you will come up with once you get your hands on them. But there are drawbacks; placement is more important than ever, and rushing your enemy with a single unit can be fatal. And besides having your units bundled up can have drawbacks of its own.

We are confident that Roots offers something unique to the Songs of Conquest lineup, both in artwork and playstyle, and come to think of it, buildings too, like the Roots version of the marketplace:

Look at that Converter work, making something into something else.

Our talented artists have truly outdone themselves. Roots is a faction that manages to be beautiful, revolting, and alien all at once. I would love to show you everything, but since much of our focus right now is on map work, I think a new screenshot will speak for itself. It captures the dark, vine-covered realm of the Tree Mothers and gives a glimpse of the world we are building.

Roots will grow indeed!

Of course, there is much more to share. New abilities, plenty of jaw-dropping artwork, and fresh maps are all beginning to blossom. The amount of new art is truly staggering. But there will be more Steam posts before the release draws near. We also want to leave some surprises for you to discover when you take on the role of the Tree Mothers and help the Roots grow strong for the future.

Remember, Flesh will rot. Steel will rust. Roots will rise.

/Anders and the Lavapotion Team

I love writing these small devlogs, as always, we’re excited to share more of our work and our upcoming faction. They really have been growing in the background, and now it’s time for them to take root and spread their influence. We've been hard at work behind the scenes. There might be one or two nature-related puns too.

Development is moving along steadily. Maps are being shaped, and perhaps most exciting for this pixel-packed devlog, our artists are hard at work making everything look absolutely blooming fantastic.
But before we dig into today's topic, there is one very important thing you can do to help us grow: Wishlist Roots. Springtime demands it

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3511790/Songs_of_Conquest__Roots/

Today we are digging into the molded, fungi-covered glory of the Roots Wielders. Writing about them is a bit different from our other factions, and that is largely due to the unique nature of the Roots themselves.

As we have mentioned before, Roots is more of a hive than a melting pot. That makes their Wielders stand out. Rather than individuals rising to power, the Roots repurpose the fallen, attempting to grow something new from what was left behind. Most of the time, the result is a broken vessel—a husk with no will at all besides that of the Tree Mothers.

But every so often, the process works. What emerges is something more: a vessel able to carry the words of the Tree Mothers, channel essence, and spread the will of the Roots across the land.
These Wielders are transformed entirely. Who they were no longer matters—at least not to them.

So let’s get started. I will not reveal every Vessel today. Instead, you will get a small smörgåsbord (we are Swedish, after all). Some things are better saved for the upcoming trailer and release.

What hides behind those grey mysteries?

For the Roots, everything is a tool for the greater cause, and their Wielders are no exception. It does not matter whether the repurposed Vessel was once Vanir, Rana, or something else entirely. The only thing that matters is the new purpose.

Perhaps you can even guess what hides behind some of the silhouettes. A few clues may already be sprouting.

It has been a wonderfully strange challenge cultivating these unique Wielders. Though they share certain traits, being formed from creatures in various stages of decomposition, It has been up to our artists to capture that blend of decay and identity.

We are still holding back a few of the more curious Vessels, like Prowl and Honey, who stand out from the patch in very specific ways.

Of course it is not just our 2D team bringing them to life. Songs of Conquest would not exist without our pixel artists. They are not just crafting our units they are also, creating the avatars that will, through your tactical brilliance, help the Roots spread across the land.

I told you Honey stood out!

Now some of these Wielders, or Vessels deserve a little closer look, while I can't share their specializations just yet, they are still being changed and tweaked I can give you some more beautiful art and a little bit of a backstory, so lets look at a former noble and a fungus-covered Vanir!



Gro Aelgrim has turned into Grow.

This mighty and proud Vanir was first introduced in our last DLC, as part of a backstory tied to his very much alive brother and a Challenge map. If you want the full picture, we recommend playing Vanir.

What we can share here is that Grow is one of the newest Vessels of the Roots, created specifically to serve as a voice for the Tree Mothers in their dealings with their sometimes hostile neighbors, the Vanir.

Grow will also take center stage in an upcoming Challenge map that dives deeper into his transformation and the goals of the Roots. It’s a story-driven experience that will help you cultivate a better understanding of the faction and its mechanics.

He looks healthy to me, don't know why his brother is complaining.



There is a special connection between the Faey and Roots, and Flora is a part of that bond. Once a proud Faey noble, she now serves an even greater purpose in her new role as a Vessel for the Tree Mothers. What might interest you is that the Faey have no true presence in the Bleak East that the Roots share with the Vanir. So, how did the Roots get hold of a Faey noble’s corpse?

Flora is also one of the new Wielders who has received some extra attention, and I’m excited to give you a closer, more rooted look at her. Now, keep in mind that this is still a work in progress, but it should give you a good sense of what’s to come.

Still noble!

And with that final glimpse, we wrap up the third devlog about Roots. There is more on the way soon, and I would love to hear what you want to see next. Would you like a closer look at the mechanics, a peek behind the curtain at how we create our pixel art, or perhaps a more thorough look at the lore behind them?

I am also eager to hear your guesses about the Wielders (or Vessels) that I showed, and the ones still hidden. Reading your theories, feedback, and ideas is one of our favorite pastimes. It keeps the creative soil rich and full of surprises. Okay, that was the last pun, I promise.

Thank you all for your continued support. It means the world to us.

/Anders and everyone at Lavapotion

It is that time of year again. Up here in the cold north, the sun is making its return and nature is busy doing its thing. Sprouting, blooming, all that. I will not pretend to be an expert on that sort of thing, but I do know a lot about our upcoming faction, Roots!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3511790/Songs_of_Conquest__Roots/

Last time we took a broad look at the faction, so today I want to get a bit more specific. I will introduce the lineup and take a closer look at some of these glorious fungi-covered creatures.

In truth, this faction has been growing beneath the surface for a long time. We have had Roots in the back of our minds for over seven years, ever since Songs of Conquest was first taking shape. We even explored early concepts for them back then.

As you will see, some of them are sort of still here, others have been composted!

Roots is a visually unique faction. We wanted them to inspire dread, disgust, and strangeness while still being beautiful and full of splendor. It was a challenge, and still is but we are very proud of the results.
We are still in the process of early play-testing, Trying out new traits, and playstyles and just enjoying the feel and atmosphere of them. But, let's look at that promised Lineup.

Eeringly similar to my old classphoto lineup!

As is tradition in these devlogs, I will not go over every unit. Instead, I will highlight a few favorites and leave the rest as lovely pixelated surprises for when Roots is released. That is planned to happen before we disappear on our very Swedish summer vacations.

Let’s start with something small.



"...at first I thought it was my imagination. But they move and have purpose." ~Hami Bronze, Baryan Botanical Collector

Swarms, or clusters of fungi, form the backbone of any Root army. They are weak but cheap, and with the right research, you can field them in massive numbers, overwhelming stronger foes with sheer swamp-like mass.

These semi-sentient mushroom creatures have their own place in Root society. In battle, they provide their Vessel Wielders with creation essence. Their evolved form, the Spawn, spreads a poisonous cloud around them, slowly wearing down anything that threatens the Tree Mothers.

I doubt those horned ones think he's such a fungi



"...found them too late. A scrap of armour was all that remained now that the body had been claimed by the Roots." ~ Stenhild, Huskarl of the Vanir.

Broken and blighted vessels are remnants of failure. In their attempts to create Wielders, or Vessels as the Roots call them, they use humanoid remains found in their lands or after battle. They try to capture the last flicker of life and forge something new.

In extremely rare cases the process succeeds. These vessels become powerful extensions of the Roots called Vessels, leading armies and communicating with outsiders. But more often than not the result is failure.

Yet the Roots waste nothing. These broken experiments of flesh, bone, and living vines are repurposed as laborers and shock troops, defending Roots expansion and survival. Their numbers swell after every battle as long as there are bodies to claim.

Flesh will rot, but Roots will grow



"Burned to a crisp, he was. Mark me, them floaty things ain't to be trifled with." ~Ash, Forester from Arleon.

The Hearts of Roots and their evolved form, Pulse, are strange, beautiful, and terrible. They are formed and grown in dark morasses, deep within the woods of Roots. Their glow and rhythmic pulse inspire those around them, granting nearby allies increased magic resistance and defense

Though their floating form may seem harmless, they are anything but. Their energy beam lances across the battlefield, striking anything in its path. A poor decision or placement could see them turned against you, becoming weapons for your enemy instead.

BZZZZT!


It is hard not to rant about Roots. We are having a lot of fun creating them, and we hope you will have just as much fun playing them. Picking up old ideas and making them feel new again is both a challenge and a reward.

What do you think of the lineup? Which units stand out, and what questions do you want answered? We cannot wait to hear what you think.
Wishlist Roots now and learn more in the months to come. Flesh will rot. Steel will rust. Roots will rise.

/Anders and everyone at Lavapotion

Yesterday marked two major milestones in the journey of Songs of Conquest. We already talked about one in our update on Sim-battles, but the other deserves its own spotlight.

Our friends at Coffee Stain Mobile have just launched Songs of Conquest on mobile, letting you take our beloved strategy game with you wherever you go! Bringing the game to Android and iOS has been quite the challenge, but the results speak for themselves, and we’re incredibly impressed with how well it turned out.

[previewyoutube][/previewyoutube]
Of course, we at Lavapotion have been involved in the process, but the real heavy lifting was done by the team at Coffee Stain. We’ve mostly been watching proudly as they worked to bring Songs of Conquest to even more players.

Playing on an iPad or phone feels almost surprisingly natural, and passing the device to a friend for a hot-seat game is just a great experience. Not all features made the transition to our newest format, though. user-created maps, the map editor, and online multiplayer aren’t included, but for single-player and local multiplayer, it’s a perfect fit.

The developers spent a lot of time making sure the interface was mobile-friendly!

We can’t recommend this enough. Songs of Conquest is available now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store for €11.99/£11.99/$11.99. Playing through our Conquest maps or tackling the four campaigns on a mobile device is a real treat, if we say so ourselves. It runs smoothly and still delivers the same tactical and strategic challenge, just as it should.

Battling Arleon and freeing the march can now be done just about anywhere!

Regardless if your an avid mobile-gamer or not, it really does belong in the literal hands of players everywhere. Now is obviously a fantastic time to take Songs of Conquest just about everywhere!

/Everyone at Lavapotion